


we meet the sea

by rayfelle



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Character Death, Gen, Reincarnation, firs it's sad, then it gets better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-21 16:16:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1556474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayfelle/pseuds/rayfelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They buried the hero into the sea. They buried their mourning in the soft sand right next to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we meet the sea

The war was not supposed to end like this – with blood painting the road to the brilliant blue of the ocean.

They had fought, long and hard, to even get here. They lost horses and men and food. There was blood marking their way home, both human and titan. And now, when everything was done, there was only the silence left. Deafening silence. And the quite whispers of the waves that broke and raised and curled up.

Eren stared at the never-ending blue with a smile on his face. This was it; this was what he had fought for. One of his goals and reasons for wanting to escape the suffocating walls. The sea. The beautiful, endless sea that seemed to unravel more and more before him.

It smelled like freedom. Tasted like victory.

“Eren, can you see it?” Levi’s hand on his shoulder was calming. It keept the boy steady and reminded him of the few that had survived in that one last battle. They were few, only few of them left. “At least… at least you go to see it, right?” The Captain sounded tired. So tired and still trying to be the support that these kids needed.

Somewhere behind them Sasha yelled out her grief, fists hitting the cold sand. So many had been left behind in the fields of flush grass and rich soil, so many had given away their life just a few feet away from this sight. It wasn’t fair. Then again, when had this world been fair towards them?

Connie was there to hold Sasha close when her voice gave up and broke; only choked sobs were left to vibrate through the air. The girl was the only one to openly cry like that, the only one that tried to give voice to the unfairness of all of this. The rest simply cried in silence, eyes frozen on the horizon, or kept the tears back for when they will be alone and hidden by the night.

Blood painted the white sand a dirty brown right where Eren sat. Levi was holding the boy up, making sure that the last thing that the young Humanity’s Hope saw was the sight he had longed for since the days spent as a child. No more regeneration. The teen didn’t heal, couldn’t grow back his missing legs. Couldn’t close the wound at the back of his head.

This world was cruel. Unfair.

And so beautiful as well.

Levi wrapped Mikasa’s red scarf around Eren’s shoulders and steadied the boy once more. He wasn’t ready to let go yet, but he didn’t have any other choice. They were too far from the walls, with nothing on them that might help to at least reveal the pain. Perhaps, they hoped, that the smell and view of their goal was enough to make this easier for Eren. A gentle passing. The boy had earned that much.

“Cor…poral…” Eren closed his eyes and leaned into the hold, his breath broken and shallow, “thank you. For… showing me… this.” he breathed once more, opened his eyes and smiled, this time at the man that had promised him the world and given that and so much more. Words weren’t enough, but there was no time left. “I love you.”

Sasha was not the only one crying when they carried Eren into the sea, letting the cold water take care of the body and soul of their hero. The red blended with the clear blue. They all stood in a line, with fists atop of their hearts to show their respect and gratitude as the waves washed Eren away.

They buried the hero into the sea. They buried their mourning in the soft sand right next to it.

…

Years passed. Centuries went by in the blink of an eye.

The world changed, the walls were taken down and built anew. Kings killed and placed on thrones. They were reborn, the last heroes, over and over again. Sometimes they didn’t remember, sometimes they did. But they were always together. And always they were missing one member of their group. Mikasa never stopped hoping. Levi was sure that Eren was still asleep, somewhere.

“Is Hanji coming?” Armin raised the camera towards the sea, snapping a picture for his collection. “She knows what day it is today, right?” His blue eyes were frozen on the slowly setting sun, looking at something too far away.

Jean replied with a maybe, helping Mikasa out of the car, always so careful so that nothing would happen to his expecting wife. Their first child was already playing in the sand, Marco watching over him. They were all here once again. Here to remember their friend and pray a prayer for Eren’s peaceful slumber. Once the sun will go down completely all will stand in one line and place a fist over their hearts – a thank you.

“Let’s go, you brats.” Levi started to walk, each step taking him closer to the cold water. It didn’t matter how many times he had done this already, in this life alone – it still hurt more and more with each new step that he made.

Laughter and small talk about everyday life, catching up on how the kids were growing up, remembering old memories from past lives and their current one as well. This was how they made their way over to where the sea finally started, its borders being drawn by the white foam on top of the small waves.

“…I decided to take over the hou—Levi, who’s that?” Jean narrowed his eyes at the figure standing knee-deep in the cold water, with his back turned to them. No one was supposed to be here, not at this time and not at this place.

This was _their_ place. Their final moments together, their place of solitude and peace.

Once Levi was close enough, his mouth already open for questions and a request to leave, the man turned around. The hushed whispers stopped. They all just looked at him, with eyes wide and some had their mouths open, already forming smiles of relief.

Eren just laughed and kicked the water.

They were finally whole. 

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I am working on the continuation of the mafia AU thing.  
> But then this happened and I just...


End file.
